Dont let the summer end without seeing this

The Clean Bin Movie: Coming to the UK - 23-30 August

Meet Jen and Grant, who have just arrived in the UK from Canada and are getting ready for a five-day tour of their documentary: The Clean Bin Project.

Forget the big budget Hollywood blockbusters that are hitting the screens this summer.  Whether you want comedy, drama or even a touch of horror - in parts - this is the film for anyone who wants to be inspired to reduce their waste.

I first came across the Clean Bin Project blog in 2008, not long after starting The Rubbish Diet. Jen Rustemeyer provided the running commentary to the challenges that she and her partner Grant Baldwin faced with entertaining accounts as they attempted a consumer free year to see who could create the least rubbish.

This was not your holier than thou blogging, more a combination of escapades, frustrations and ingenuity at overcoming some of the regular hurdles that face us all.

And thankfully, they also captured it on camera, creating a very entertaining documentary, which is being screened at five venues across the UK, with a post-screening Q&A with Jen & Grant.

Launching in Brighton this Friday, the full tour list is as follows:

Fri 23rd Aug - Brighton - Brighthelm Centre. Open from 6pm. Starts 7pm.
Tue 27th Aug- Stowmarket, Suffolk - John Peel Centre for Creative Arts. Open 7pm. Starts 7:30pm
Wed 28th Aug - York - City Screen, Picturehouse. 6:15pm
Thu 29th Aug - Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The Old Post Office. 7pm.
Fri 20th Aug- Warminster, Wiltshire. Baptist Church Hall. 7pm.

Entry is either free, or with a small donation/ticket price depending on local arrangements and sponsorship.  Huge thanks go to Freegle, Mid Suffolk District Council, City Screen & John Cossham, Transition Shrewsbury and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust for making these events possible.

It would be really great if you could make it to one of the screenings.  If you cant and would still love to see the documentary, copies can be purchased at www.cleanbinmovie.com.  There are also details of how you can host a screening for your local community.

The Clean Bin Project screenings are happening in time to whet the appetite for Zero Waste Week which follows the week after. Taking place,2-8 September, the theme this year is "Use it Up" and focuses on food waste.  Please do sign up at www.zerowasteweek.co.uk.  Therell be more on that from me soon.

Meanwhile, I hope that you enjoy the Clean Bin Project events, where youll also get to meet some of the local waste-busters who are running some great projects around the country.

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Happy Summer to Kids at Genesis Womens Shelter

Nothing says simple summer fun like some bubble wands and sidewalk chalk. So, we grabbed a bunch at Walmart today and headed to Genesis Womens Shelter. Hopefully it will bring some sunshine to the little kiddos staying there.

When we delivered the bubbles and chalk they were so happy to have it because theyre gathering summery things to do for "Camp G" a summer camp that theyre doing for the kids this summer staying at the shelter.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive."
-Acts 20:35

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Getting ready for the Big Summer Declutter!

At last - permission to get rid of old toys

Ive just spent the last three hours immersed in a job that Ive been avoiding for months, the task of decluttering Little Ts bedroom.   Oh the joys of negotiating with a 6 year old over which toys can be extracted from the floor and offered to a new home, let alone tidying away lots of annoying little bits and pieces that have become separated from each other over the years that have gone by.

But at last weve got a box full of kids stuff to sell at the Radio Suffolks Big Summer Declutter car boot sale thats taking place on Sunday for EACHs Treehouse Appeal which is raising £3,000,000 for a new childrens hospice in Ipswich.

Im really looking forward to this event and have already got a fine collection of stuff that I pulled together when I started to declutter the house at the beginning of the year.  My pitch has been booked for months and I cant wait to get down to Ipswich on Sunday and see how much I can raise from the proceeds, all of which Im planning to donate to the Treehouse Appeal. Its my choice to donate the funds, its not an actual requirement of the car boot sale.  However Im not sure if I can convince the kids to do the same, parting with their stuff will be tough enough!

Anyway the declutters not over yet.  I havent even ventured into the loft yet but cant wait to get the loft ladder down.  Can you tell Im starting to really enjoy this process?

So, if youre in Suffolk and looking for a fun event on Sunday, do pop along to the Big Summer Declutter and come and say hello.  It would be great if you end up booking a pitch yourself.  Set up is at 6.30am, with sales starting at 7am and going on until 3pm.  During the course of the day, there promises to be lots of entertainment too,  BBC Radio Suffolk will  be broadcasting live and auctioning off the Ashes to Ashes script that I managed to acquire from the production company and Nik Kershaw will be on-hand to officially open the event.  It will be brilliant if EACH manages to break through the £1,000,000 milestone as a result of the day!


So, please pray for good weather and if you fancy coming along, more information can be found at the BBC Radio Suffolk website.

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